How can I get to Gatwick airport station from Harrow or Milton Keynes cheap?

[ThrowAway10101]

Travelling later today. TFL journey planner says it's possible for £10 from Harrow & Wealdstone but trainsplit says £12.80 (not a big difference but more than 1 traveller). I'm looking at nearby starting stations like Watford Junction and Harrow-on-the-hill but they all give different prices? Not from London so I don't understand how zones work.

Thank you.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

If you use a contactless bank card or Oyster to touch in and touch out, rely on what TfL says on the single fare finder. If you would rather use the UK rail system's archaic ticketing system with less flexibility, use Trainsplit. My recommendation is to touch in and touch out using the same bank card

By the looks of it, if you go via Central London, it will be about £12.80 using contactless. To get the £10 fare on Contactless, you have to use Southern Rail to Clapham Junction and change there for a train to Gatwick. Only touch in at Harrow and touch out at Gatwick - the system can tell the route.

 

[JonathanH]

The fare from Harrow & Wealdstone to Gatwick Airport can be minimised by using the West London Line route and touching out and back in at East Croydon, but that might be a bit impractical.

£3.50 from Harrow & Wealdstone to East Croydon
£3.90 from East Croydon to Gatwick Airport

However, the through fares are more expensive as already noted.

Something similar applies from Watford Junction, but Contactless isn't yet valid further north.

Nearer to Milton Keynes, the single fare from Bletchley to Gatwick Airport is cheaper than the fare from Milton Keynes to Gatwick, because of the introduction of single leg pricing as far as Bletchley.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is the £10.00 fare mentioned from Harrow & Wealdstone (or same price from Watford Junction) to Gatwick Airport not a route "AP Southern Only" Advance Single ticket? Can it even be booked on the day of travel?

 

[Hadders]

Using contactless and from Harrow the fare is £10 but if change to the underground at Euston then it's £12.80. If you change at Willesden Junction and West Hampstead (i.e. go via the Thameslink core) then it's £10.10. So practically it's £10 if you go via the West London Line.

From Watford Junction, using contactless then practically it's £12.20 via the West London Line, £12.30 changing at Willesden Junction and West Hampstead or £15.00 if you change to the Underground at Euston.

Traditional tickets are much more expensive for a single journey so I would avoid these.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

Thank you all so much this has been very helpful. Looks like it will be just using the tap in and out system and going through Clapham junction. I did not know you could tap in at Harrow and out at Gatwick thanks @ThameslinkUser !!

Is the £10.00 fare mentioned from Harrow & Wealdstone (or same price from Watford Junction) to Gatwick Airport not a route "AP Southern Only" Advance Single ticket? Can it even be booked on the day of travel?

I'm not sure this is all I found. I did use trainsplit yesterday at it came around £9 but it's gone up today.

 

[Tetchytyke]

If you have the time/can be bothered, touching out and in again at East Croydon will save you an additional £3 or so.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

If you have the time/can be bothered, touching out and in again at East Croydon will save you an additional £3 or so.

Thato's great thanks! Does that mean you have to wait for the next train though?

 

[Hophead]

Thato's great thanks! Does that mean you have to wait for the next train though?

Realistically, yes - you'd have to travel at warp speed up to the barriers and back to get back on the same train. If you do want to save the money, you'll be pleased to know that fast trains leave Platform 3 at East Croydon every 5-8 minutes or so.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

Realistically, yes - you'd have to travel at warp speed up to the barriers and back to get back on the same train. If you do want to save the money, you'll be pleased to know that fast trains leave Platform 3 at East Croydon every 5-8 minutes or so.

Thank you! Thought so haha. In no rush so perhaps it's worth it.

 

[plugwash]

So practically it's £10 if you go via the West London Line.

Presumablly it's also £10 if you go via paddington and Farringdon using the lizzie since both those changes are in-station. Not sure how that would compare on journey time.

 

[JonathanH]

Presumablly it's also £10 if you go via paddington and Farringdon using the lizzie since both those changes are in-station. Not sure how that would compare on journey time.

Yes, provided you stay within the stations and don't pass any barriers. Certainly an option if the Southern service isn't running or if someone has missed it, although the Bakerloo Line is quite slow.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

Real quick q, do you have to tap the pink reader at clapham?

 

[ThameslinkUser]

No, you tap nothing else.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

No, you tap nothing else.

Thanks, out of curiosity why not? Doesn't the pink ensure the £10 fare?

 

[MrJeeves]

Thanks, out of curiosity why not? Doesn't the pink ensure the £10 fare?

In a lot of cases, yes, but from Harrow & Wealdstone to East Croydon, the default fare is avoiding Zone 1 anyway so there's no need to touch a pink reader.

You can see the default fares and alternative route fares on oysterfares.com: https://oysterfares.com/fare-finder/

If you did touch the pink reader, I think it's unlikely to cause an issue as I can't see how that would realistically trigger any of the alternative fares which all require you to go via either London Terminals or West Hampstead, but in this case there is no need to do so.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

In a lot of cases, yes, but from Harrow & Wealdstone to East Croydon, the default fare is avoiding Zone 1 anyway so there's no need to touch a pink reader.

You can see the default fares and alternative route fares on oysterfares.com: https://oysterfares.com/fare-finder/

If you did touch the pink reader, I think it's unlikely to cause an issue as I can't see how that would realistically trigger any of the alternative fares which all require you to go via either London Terminals or West Hampstead, but in this case there is no need to do so.

Thank you for the reply and the useful website!

 

[zero]

You can often get the same train at East Croydon if it arrives a minute or so ahead of schedule, you have no luggage and you use the barriers on the footbridge at the north side of the station

 

[JonathanH]

You can often get the same train at East Croydon if it arrives a minute or so ahead of schedule, you have no luggage and you use the barriers on the footbridge at the north side of the station

Possibly, although you have to be sat in the right place on the train, and take some care on what is a steep staircase.

 

[Watershed]

Possibly, although you have to be sat in the right place on the train, and take some care on what is a steep staircase.

I think it's roughly coach 7 of a 12-coach train where you want to be situated for the optimal exit. I very nearly managed to get back onto the same train last week, but I was in the wrong coach and there was congestion on the platform.

 

[talldave]

The tap out/in at East Croydon is easy if you don't have copious amounts of luggage and gives a warm smug feeling at beating the system for so little effort!

If 3 or more people are travelling it can be worth considering "traditional" tickets with Southern's Groupsave discount. Particularly if the group has 2 adults and a number of children - the first child is treated as an adult to get the Groupsave whilst additional children may get Southern £2 tickets which really start to bring the average cost per passenger down if it's a return journey.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The tap out/in at East Croydon is easy if you don't have copious amounts of luggage and gives a warm smug feeling at beating the system for so little effort!

I don't rush on the ramp or stairs and normally get the next train. £3 for what is a 5-10 minute delay is worth it. I do check Real Time Trains before doing it though, just to make sure it will only be a 5-10 minute delay.